ZALAMEDA VS. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES September 4, 2009 G.R. No.

183656

STATEMENT OF THE CASE: A petition for review on certiorari involving the decision of the Court of Appeals which affirmed the conviction of the RTC of Makati City against petitioner Zalameda. FACTS OF THE CASE: The petitioner was charged and found guilty of violating Sections 11 and 12 of R.A. 9165 (The Comprehensive Drug Act of 2002). On September 14, 2003, the desk officer of Precinct I of Makati City received a phone call from a concerned citizen reporting an ongoing pot session at Brgy. Tejeros, Makati City. Acting on the report, the police operatives proceeded to the reported address. Upon reaching their destination, the police officers found a house at about 3 x 6 meters. The door was slightly open. SPO2 de Guzman peeped inside and saw petitioner Zalameda and his co- accused Villafor sniffing a smoke. SPO2 signaled the rest of the police operatives and they immediately rushed inside the house. Accused Villaflor was holding a tooter at that point which he threw away. The Police officers then frisked the two accused according to police procedures and was able to recover the following: -rectangular sachet containing white crystalline substance -aluminum foils (confirmed later to have traces of shabu) -pair of scissors -disposable lighter -a bag with plastic zipper -an improvised tooter Petitioner and co-accused were found guilty of the crime charged before the RTC of Makati City. On appeal, petitioner alleges that the confiscated items are inadmissible as evidence against them as the arrest, search and seizure were unlawful. The appellate court ruled against the petitioner, hence this petition for review. ISSUE: Whether or not the arrest, search and seizure were unlawful and invalid. RULING: The petition was denied for lack of merit. The conviction of the appellate court was AFFIRMED with modification as to penalties. RATIONALE/REASON: Paragraph (a) of Section 5, Rule 113 is commonly known as an in flagrante delicto arrest. For a warrantless arrest of an accused caught in flagrante delicto to be valid, two requisites must concur: (1) the person to be arrested must execute an overt act indicating that he has just committed, is actually committing, or is attempting to commit a crime; and (2) such overt act is done in the presence or within the view of the arresting officer.

After carefully evaluating the evidence in its totality, we hold that the prosecution successfully established that the petitioner was arrested in flagrante delicto. At the place where the two accused were frisked and arrested, the responding police officers verified from a slightly opened door and saw the petitioner and Villaflor "sniffing smoke". As it turned out, the petitioner indeed possessed a prohibited drug and, together with Villaflor, was even using a prohibited drug and likewise illegally possessed drug paraphernalia, contrary to law. When an accused is caught in flagrante delicto, the police officers are not only authorized but are duty-bound to arrest him even without a warrant. In the course of the arrest and in accordance with police procedures, the petitioner and Villaflor were frisked, which search yielded the prohibited drug in the petitioners possession. The police, aside from seeing Villaflor throw away a tooter, also saw various drug paraphernalia scattered on top of the petitioners bed. These circumstances were sufficient to justify the warrantless search and seizure that yielded one (1) heat-sealed plastic sachet of shabu. In this regard, Section 13, Rule 126 of the Rules of Court states: Section 13. Search Incident to Lawful Arrest. A person lawfully arrested may be searched for dangerous weapons or anything which may have been used or constitute proof in the commission of an offense without a search warrant. The seizure of the various drug paraphernalia is likewise beyond question. Under the plain view doctrine, objects falling in the "plain view" of an officer who has a right to be in the position to have that view are subject to seizure and may be presented as evidence. This doctrine applies when the following requisites concur: (a) the law enforcement officer in search of the evidence has a prior justification for an intrusion or is in a position from which he can view a particular area; (b) the discovery of the evidence in plain view is inadvertent; and (c) it is immediately apparent to the officer that the item he observes may be evidence of a crime, contraband or otherwise subject to seizure. All the foregoing requirements for a lawful search and seizure are present in this case. The police officers had prior justification to be at the petitioners place as they were dispatched by their desk officer; they arrested the petitioner and Villaflor as they had reason to believe that they were illegally using and possessing a prohibited drug and drug paraphernalia. The search of the petitioner incident to his arrest yielded the confiscated crystalline substance which later proved to be shabu. In the course of their lawful intrusion, they inadvertently saw the various drug paraphernalia scattered on the bed. As these items were plainly visible, the police officers were justified in seizing them.